Snow Socks: An Alternative to Tire Chains?

Q: I saw an ad online for something called snow socks. Supposedly they work just as good as tire chains. But even if they do, are they approved if I’m driving over the pass and the sign says, “chains required”?

A: I never would have considered myself a sock guy, but I got some fancy wool socks for Christmas and my feet have never been happier. If I were going out in the snow, these would be my first choice. But you asked about socks for your car.

I get the impression you’re a bit suspicious about an online ad with bold claims. And if the ad you saw promises that you’ll get the same performance from snow socks as you would from tire chains, your skepticism is warranted. That’s not to say snow socks don’t work; just that you need reasonable expectations for their capabilities.

For anyone unfamiliar with snow socks (the ones for your tires, not the ones I’m wearing right now to keep my feet warm), They’re a fabric hoop that surrounds your tire to increase your traction on snow. The upside, compared to traditional chains, is the ease of installation. If you’ve ever had to install tire chains on the side of a snowy road, snow socks start to look pretty appealing. They’re also quiet and smooth, compared to chains.

However, it doesn’t matter how easy it is to install a traction device if it doesn’t help. Take for example, zip tie tire chains. You might see these advertised on Tik Tok or Instagram (where influencers embrace the over-promise/under-deliver marketing strategy). They’re simple to install but tend to snap off shortly after you start moving. In a pinch they might work to get you unstuck, but the failure rate makes them hard to trust.

 Snow socks outperform the zip tie chains by far (just staying on the tires is an improvement over zip ties) but they don’t perform as well as real tire chains, or even high-quality snow tires, especially on ice. Also, as you might imagine, you’ll wear through a fabric traction device much faster than a set of steel chains. Even so, some snow socks are effective enough to be approved as an alternative traction device in Washington when “chains required” signs are posted.

Not every snow sock you can buy online qualifies as an “alternative traction device”. I could sew up some fabric hoops and call them snow socks, but that doesn’t mean they’d work. Alternative traction devices must be tested and demonstrate sufficient traction on snow and ice. If you have snow socks that haven’t been tested, you could still stash them in your trunk and hope for the best when you get in a bind, but they won’t meet the “chains required” standard when you’re driving over a mountain pass.

The Washington State Patrol maintains a list of approved alternative traction devices on their website. If you’re thinking of using something besides either link or cable tire chains, and you need them to comply with the law, check there first before you decide. For some drivers there’s not much of a decision to make. Snow socks might be the only option that doesn’t violate the rules in your owner’s manual.

Are snow socks the right choice? If you need maximum traction, you want to go with real tire chains. Sometimes though, you just want to know you’ll be able to successfully install your traction device if the need arises. Chains won’t do you any good if you can’t get them on, so pick the one you know you’ll use.